Does Homeowner’s Insurance Cover a Fallen Tree?

Hurricane damage to a house roof in Florida. Fallen down big tree after tropical storm winds. Shutterstock

If you have large trees around your home, there’s always the fear that one will fall on your house. Falling trees are an underrated danger from hazardous weather. But trees with rot have been known to fall on their own as well.

When dealing with a fallen tree, your first concern is safety. Once the dust has settled, most people put a call into their insurance company to see if they have coverage. Having coverage from a tree damaging your property is not always cut and dry.

How the Tree Fell Determines Insurance Coverage

After they ask you if you’re okay, one of the first questions you'll be asked when you call your insurance company is how the tree fell.

That’s an important question and answer. It will determine if you have insurance to cover the damage.

Tree damage that is usually covered by insurance is the result of:

• snow and ice
• storms
• wind
• hail
• a fire caused by lightning

A tree falling due to a flood or earthquake is not covered by your homeowner’s policy. That may make sense since a homeowner policy doesn’t cover those perils for your home for any damage.

But what surprises some people when they call their agent is that insurance typically doesn’t cover rot or the tree’s age.

If the tree falls on your house because it’s old and rotten, the damages are your responsibility and are typically not covered under your policy. That’s because its cause is deemed negligence or a maintenance-related issue.

Insurance also doesn’t pay for the removal of diseased or dangerous trees from the property. As the homeowner, that’s your responsibility.

The best action is to trim your trees and remove any old or diseased ones.

A Neighbor’s Tree Fell on My House

Does the neighbor or their insurance pay for the damages if their tree falls on my house?

Courts have decided that the owner of a tree is not necessarily responsible for damage caused by it. This changes if the tree owner knew in advance that the tree was dying and could fall onto someone’s property.

Property owners bear the responsibility of securing their own property. And although an owner can’t go into their neighbor’s yard and start cutting down trees, they are responsible for notifying the tree owner of dead or dying trees that might fall. It’s best to have a record of this notification. Sending a certified letter or keeping the emails between the two of you will often work.

So, your neighbor is typically only responsible if the tree that fell on your house was rotten, old, or diseased. If a storm blew a healthy tree onto your house, you’ll need to file a claim with your insurance company.

The same holds true if your tree falls on your neighbor’s house.

Will Homeowner’s Insurance Cover Tree Removal?

If the covered tree loss fell on a covered structure like a house, garage, or fence, the insurance company will pay for removal.

However, if the tree fell and didn’t hit a covered structure, homeowner’s insurance would not typically cover the tree removal. One exception might be if the tree was blocking your driveway.

But check your policy—there may be some coverage limitations with a specific deductible for debris removal.

Does Insurance Pay for Cutting Down a Tree?

Homeowner’s insurance doesn’t typically cover the cost of cutting down a tree for preventative or maintenance purposes. Although you should maintain your trees properly, taking care of them and preventing problems is your responsibility.

How Much Does Insurance Pay?

Homeowner’s insurance policies come with deductibles, which you are responsible for before insurance covers the loss. The average deductible range is $500 to $2000. But not all deductibles are flat deductibles. Some are based on the percentages of your home’s insured value. This is usually one to two percent.

For example, if your home is insured for $300,000 and you have a 2 percent deductible, you’d be responsible for $6,000.

Several factors determine the amount your insurance company will pay. One is what type of property was damaged. If a covered peril causes significant damage to your house, you may receive up to the limit of your policy’s dwelling coverage.

You may also be able to file a claim for your personal belongings if they were damaged up to specified limits.

Some homeowner policies cover additional living expenses such as hotels or meals if your home is uninhabitable up to specified limits.

Does Insurance Cover Vehicle Damage From a Tree?

Homeowner’s insurance doesn’t typically cover tree damage for your car. That comes under the vehicle’s comprehensive auto insurance policy. If you only have liability or collision coverage on your car, you won’t have coverage if a tree falls on it.

Be Proactive With Trees

If you have trees, inspect them for problems. Ask your neighbors to inspect their trees as well. If your area is prone to different types of storms, take action to minimize problems.

And ensure that you have the proper coverage on your vehicle. This is especially true if you have a lot of trees on your or your neighbor’s property.

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